7 Reasons Why You Should Start Your Own Newsletter

I'm not talking about paid newsletters (although more on that later).

Paid newsletters as a way to make money from your words used to be flavour of the month.  At least until the “gurus” decided it was too hard for most people to get paying customers.

Which, of course, is true and not true at the same time.

Yes, there are lots of paid newsletters that make their authors quite nice sums of money, thank you very much.  

For example, Heather Cox Richardson is a history professor who is interested in (and writes about) the contrast between image and reality in American politics.  She has well over 2 million readers who subscribe to her free newsletter.  And last I heard, her paid newsletter was doing incredibly well.  You can check out her Substack profile page here.    

She’s not alone in terms of examples.  But the reality is that the “gurus” are wrong AND right.  It is definitely super hard to reach the level of success/readership/revenue that Heather gets from her newsletter.

But here’s the thing.

Heather has been writing about her interests for years.  And she publishes her newsletter every day.  And she works a full-time job, travels, speaks, etc., etc., etc.

Most people would look at what she does and go “okay so she’s Superwoman.  Yay for her.  I’m not like that.”

But you know what? Heather used to be EXACTLY like you.

There was a time in her life when Heather wasn’t an expert, didn’t have a newsletter and wasn’t writing.

My point is … she started her journey to writing success at zero.  No readers. Not a lot of writing experience. Not a well-known expert.  Same as you.

What’s got her to where she is has been dedication, a lot of hard work and the ability to reach people through platforms that make it easy to send out newsletters at little to no cost. 

Exactly the same as what you can do if you put your mind to it.

So I wanted to share with you 7 solid reasons why YOU should start your own newsletter. From zero.  From scratch.  Because the benefits of doing so are actually quite big.

7 Reasons to Start (and Keep Writing) a Newsletter

1. It gives you a reason to write.

Having a newsletter that people are actually waiting for—because they want to hear what you have to say—is a fantastic motivator. It gives you a reason to sit down regularly, bash out a draft, edit it, and hit publish. 

And if you ever find yourself stuck for ideas, just start with your day. Talk about a problem you’ve solved, a question someone asked you, or even just a quirky little story. You’d be surprised how much interest and engagement those simple moments can spark. 

Still stuck? You can use my topic generator post to help kickstart your next idea.

2. It helps you build consistent writing habits.

Like any creative practice, consistency matters. Newsletters give you that built-in rhythm.  For example, you might set up a weekly writing routine where you've got Monday for coming up with your topic, Tuesday for the first draft, Wednesday for reflection, Thursday to polish it up, and Friday to hit send. 

When you schedule that into your calendar and commit to not missing it, something magic happens: in just a few weeks, you'll look back and realize you've written more than you ever thought possible.

3. It helps you find your voice.

Especially if you’re still new to writing, a consistent newsletter is one of the fastest ways to develop your tone and style.

As you publish and get responses from readers, you’ll discover what resonates—and you can lean into those topics and that tone more and more. Finding your voice isn’t a lightning bolt moment; it’s a journey. And a newsletter helps you take that journey publicly, openly, and on your own terms.

4. You get to write about what you enjoy.

This might just be the best part: you choose the topics, the tone, and the schedule.  

If you want to be helpful, great. Go ahead and answer your readers’ questions. If you want to be funny, insightful, irreverent, or poetic, go for it. It's your newsletter. You’re in charge. 

And consistently writing your newsletter is a discipline that will actually give you enormous creative freedom.  Seems like an oxymoron, but it’s true.

5. You learn to engage with your audience.

As you keep showing up, your writing will attract people who want to hear from you. Your tribe, as the gurus like to say. 

And that moment when someone replies to your newsletter to say “this really resonated” is powerful … emotional, even. It’s validating in the best kind of way.

But engagement is a two-way street. To keep that connection with your audience strong, you need to listen as well. Hear what they’re asking for. Respond to what they care about. That’s how real relationships (and loyal readers) are built.

6. You own your list.

Don't know if you've noticed, but social media is fickle. Platforms go down, accounts get hacked or banned, algorithms bury your content, or the entire thing gets banned in your country (hello, TikTok drama).

Your email list? That’s yours. You control when and how you communicate. No algorithm. No gatekeeper. No sudden disappearance. It’s the most stable digital asset you can build, and arguably, the most valuable.

7. You can make money from your newsletter—without charging subscribers.

Paid newsletters are one option, sure, but they’re not the only one. And honestly, they’re not the best place to start if you’re new. 

But that doesn’t mean newsletters can’t earn you money. In fact, there are several ways to start that cash trickling in. That’s what we’ll cover next.

Yes, You Can Make Money From Your Newsletter

Once you’ve built a bit of a loyal audience, monetising your newsletter becomes not just possible, it becomes a smart next step. Here are five of the most common (and effective) ways to do it:

1. Get sponsors

If your audience matches the type of people certain businesses want to reach, they’ll happily pay to get in front of them—because they can’t reach them otherwise. So it’s a win-win-win for the business, for you and for your audience.

Newsletter sponsorships are a growing marketing channel, and they work best when your niche aligns with the sponsor's goals.

If you’re curious about how to get started with finding sponsors, I recommend checking out Justin Moore’s book Sponsor Magnet. It’s a great step-by-step guide. (That’s an affiliate link, by the way. More on that in a second.)  I used his book to get me started with finding sponsors that are willing to pay me for the content I create.

2. Sell ad space on your newsletter 

This works well when your audience overlaps with brands or services in your space. Just make sure to clearly label anything that’s a paid promotion. Not only is it a legal requirement in most places, but it’s also essential for maintaining trust with your readers.

Pricing for an ad spot can vary wildly. Some newsletters charge $10–$50 per issue, while others with large, niche audiences can command $3,000 or more for a single placement.

3. Use affiliate links

Affiliate marketing is a simple way to bring in a bit of revenue.  The way it works is that when someone clicks on your special link and makes a purchase, you get a small commission.  There’s no extra cost to the buyer.  And because, once again, you’re reaching people that the business whose product or service you’re promoting can’t reach, they are more than happy to thank you by giving you that commission. Because it's a sale they wouldn't have gotten otherwise.

The important thing here is to only promote things you genuinely use and love or are super confident that your audience will benefit from.  Because trust is everything. But when done with integrity, affiliate income can become a solid, recurring revenue stream from your writing.

4. Promote your own offers

Maybe you’ve written a book. Maybe you’ve got coaching sessions, a course, or even digital templates or artwork for sale. Your newsletter is the perfect place to promote your own work.

These subscribers already know you, like you, and trust you, which makes them far more likely to take you up on what you’re offering.

5. Offer a paid version of your newsletter

This one’s a longer-term play and not recommended for beginners. You’ll need a decent-sized, engaged audience for it to be worth the effort. But if you get there? It can be a meaningful revenue source. Heather Cox Richardson’s newsletter that I mentioned earlier is a great example of this in action.

Choosing the Right Newsletter Platform

Treasa and I both write multiple newsletters, tailored to different audiences. And we’ve used a mix of all the above things I've mentioned: sponsorships, ad space, affiliate links, and our own offers as a way to get paid for the work we've done. Because when layered together, these streams add up to a lovely bonus from something we enjoy doing anyway.

Something you could do that might even become your primary income.

But in order to make this all work for you, you’ll need somewhere to host your newsletter. Options include Substack, Ghost, Medium, and others. Some of these are free. Others you have to pay for.

Personally? We use Kit (affiliate link) for nearly all of our different newsletters (and that final straggler is migrating there soon!).

Why Kit? Two big reasons:

1. Built-in referral network: Kit makes it easy to get other newsletter writers to recommend your newsletter—and vice versa. It uses audience data to suggest high-quality cross-promotions, making it so much easier to grow your list quickly.
2. Automated welcome sequences: With their newsletter plan (still free—you just have to ask to be added), you can create a simple automated welcome sequence that every new subscriber gets. That means they can see your best content, even if they joined months after you wrote it. It keeps them engaged and makes a big difference in retention.

If you’re interested in having taking an inside peek at Kit before you decide, you can watch this short YouTube tutorial I made.  It’s shows you how to quickly create a 3-email welcome sequence using Kit + AI. Why AI?  Because the writing is still yours, but the AI just helps you do it faster.

Ready to Start?

Starting a newsletter doesn’t require a massive audience, a paid plan, or even a grand plan. What it does require is a decision.  A decision to consistently show up, write, and connect.

Whether you want to sharpen your writing skills, build your personal brand, grow a business, or eventually monetise, your newsletter can become the heartbeat of your creative work. And the best part? You don’t need anyone’s permission to do it. You can start today.

So here’s your next step:

1. Pick a free platform like Kit and create your newsletter account.
2. Start writing. Choose any topic that interests you—your thoughts, your work, your wins, your struggles. Just get it down.
3. Ask friends and family to sign up. You’ll be surprised who wants to hear from you.
4. Keep going. Keep writing, keep publishing, and keep inviting new people to join your list.

It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be yours. And it all starts with the first newsletter you send out (even if it just goes out to you and your Mom).

Author's Bio

Trudy Rankin is an online business strategist and content creator who loves writing about quirky or funny experiences that teach life lessons. She helps service-based business owners attract the right leads using smart systems, quizzes, and AI—without adding to their sense of overwhelm. She and her husband live in Melbourne Australia and enjoy renovating campervans and traveling, especially to visit family.